Adjustment means for wrench-type pliers



Oct. 1, 1958 A. MEAD 2,854,878

ADJUSTMENT MEANS FOR WRENCH-TYPE PLIERS Filed Jan. 25, 1957 INVENTOR.

flomerfl. Mead BY United States Patent O" ADJUSTMENT MEANS FORWVRENCH-TYPE PLIERS Homer A. Mead, Turlock, Calif.

Application January 25, 1957, Serial No. 636,322

1 Claim. (Cl. 81-411) This invention relates to wrench-type pliers inwhich the work-engaging jaws are adjustable relative to each other so asto be engageable with work pieces of many different sizes.

Such a tool includes jaw shanks crossing each other, one shank having aslot therein provided along one edge with depending notches or cradles,and the other shank having a pivot pin removable along the slot andengageable in seating relation in any selected cradle.

A major object of this invention is to provide a pivot pin and lugcombinaton on said other shank so arranged that a full-circle pin may beused; the pin engaged and supported by a bearing surface extending alonga major portion of the length of the pin; and said pin prevented fromtipping or being possibly sheared off when the tool is under heavy load.

A further object of the invention is to so dispose the pin-engagingcradles along the slot that the lateral pressures to which the pin issubjected, when the tool is under load, cause said pin to be firmlyseated in the related cradle and to be braced and held against anypossible tendency, of the pin to leave or escape the cradle.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustment means forpliers, of the type described, which reduces manufacturing operationsand at the same time increases the strength and efficiency of theworking parts without any increase in the size of such parts.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a practical andreliable adjustment means for wrench-type pliers, and one which will beexceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved pliers as engaged with a workpiece; the pivot-pin nut being partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the pliers showing the pivotpin in position to allow adjustment of the jaws; the pivot pin nut beingremoved.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and to the charactersof reference marked thereon, the pliers comprise essentially a pair ofseparate members, indicated generally at 1 and 2, and arranged incrossing relation to each other.

The member 1 comprises a jaw 3, a flat, relatively wide shank 4extending from the jaw at an obtuse angle thereto, and a handle 5projecting from the end of the shank opposite the jaw. A pin 6 ismounted in the shank intermediate its ends and side edges, said pinhaving a head 7 on one end and a nut 8 on the other end.

Member 2 comprises a jaw 9 opposed to jaw 3, a fiat, relatively wide andelongated shank 10 extending from one end of the jaw substantially atright angles 2,854,878 Patented Oct. 7, 1958 thereto, and a handle 11projecting from the end of the shank 10 opposite the jaw and at an acuteangle to the shank in a direction away from the jaw.

The shank 10 is formed with an elongatedslot 12, extending lengthwise ofthe shank and thus substantially at right angles to the jaw 9, and whosewidth is slightly greater than the diameter of the pin 6. Cut into theedge of the slot furthest from the jaw 9 is a row of semicircularnotches or cradles 13, the radius of each of which is such as to receivethe pin 6 with a turning fit, and in any selected one of which the pinseats when the jaws are in an operative position.

Formed on the shank 4 and projecting into the slot 12, and engagingabout a portion of the periphery of the pin 6, is an arcuate lug 14. Theouter edge of such lug is concentric with the pin 6 and the radialextent thereof is such as to have a running fit with the edge of theslot 12 opposite the cradles 13. This prevents any appreciable movementof said pin 6 out of its seat with a relative swinging movement of thejaws 9 within their range of operation at any set position of the pin inone cradle 13 or another.

The chordal extent of the lug 14 at its outer end is somewhat less thanthe width of the slot 12, as is clear from Fig. 2, and said lug isshaped so that the trailing edge 15 thereof, relative to the directionof rotation of the corresponding shank and handle required to open thejaws 9, is substantially parallel to jaw 3 and tangent to the adjacentface of the pin 6. The opposed edge 16 of the lug is substantiallyradial with the axis of the pin. It may be noted here that the nut 8 ispreferably on the end of the pin 6 which projects outwardly of the shank1t and the width of the nut is suificient to span the slot 12 as well asthe cradle in which the pin is engaged. The nut thus of course coverslug 14 as well.

By reason of the above described arrangement it will be seen thatvarious advantages in construction and operation are obtained. By theuse of the lug 14, which is integral with shank 4, as shown in Fig. 3,the pin 6 is supported, against the possibility of being sheared by thepressures set up in the pliers when a work piece W is gripped andturned, by the full-length bearing surface provided for the pin by themetal of shank 4 and of the lug 14 which is an integral extension of theshank. This feature also prevents tipping and possible binding of thepin.

The lug-cooperating with the pin--also enables the slot 12 to be as wideas the diameter of the pin, avoiding the necessity of the pin being cutaway and thus weakened, as has heretofore been necessary in order forthe pin to slide down the slot when making an adjustment.

The lug, moving as a unit with member 1, and being nearly as wide at itsouter end as the slot, requires a turn of member 1 relative to member 2sufficient to dispose the jaws about at right angles to each otherbefore any full disengagement of the pin 6 from any cradle can beeffected, as shown in Fig. 2. The lug edge 15being substantiallyparallel to the jaw 3 enables the jaws to be thus disposed without jaw3, which overhangs shank It actually contacting said shank. A relativelygreat range of jaw movement can thus be had with each setting of the pin6, and without the latter being released from its cradle.

The pin, being full-circle throughout, does not have to be fixed againstturning in its shank, and manufacturing and assembling operations arethereby lessened and simplified, andif desireda relatively small pin canbe used without loss of efiiciency, sinceas previously statedthe pin isnot weakened by being cut, nor is it subject to any shearing strains.

With the lug and pin arrangement as above described, the cradles 13 maybe placed quite close together, with only a narrow neck or tip 17therebetween, and thus giving the maximum number of positions of the pin6 along the slot 12.

The specific relationship of the edge 15 of the lug to the adjacentsurface of the pin 6 provides what is in eifect a locating notch toreceive and cooperate with each cradle tip 17 as an adjustment of thepin is being made, as indicated in Fig. 2. This provides for a smoothand easy adjustment of the pin into position in any cradle, as themembers 1 and 2 are moved relative to each other along the slot 12 toinitially dispose the pin in approximate alinement with any cradle.

The cradles 13 depending from the edge of slot 12 furthest from thejaws, pressure acting on the jaws and shanks when the tool is engagedwith a work piece and is under load causes the pin 6 to be firmlypressed into the related cradle so that said pin is well seated andbraced against possible wobble, or any tendency to work out of thecradle.

From the foregoing descliption it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as will substantially fulfill the objects ofthe invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new anduseful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

In a wrench-type pliers which includes opposed jaws,

4 shanks projecting from the jaws in crossing relation to each other,and handles projecting from the ends of the shanks opposite the jaws; apin mounted in and projecting from one shank, the other shank having anelongated slot extending at an angle to its jaw and of a width toreceive the pin in clearance relation, and said other shank having a rowof notches forming pin-receiving cradles cut in from one longitudinaledge of the slot, and a lug fixed on said one shank and projecting intothe slot and embracing a portion of the pin; the outer edge of the lugbeing concentric with the pin and disposed in close spaced relation tothe edge of the slot opposite the cradles when the jaws are in awork-engaging position; the chordal extent of the lug at its outer endbeing less than the Width of the slot; the side edge of the lug which isat the trailing end of said lug when the handle of the correspondingshank is swung in a direction to open the jaws being substantiallyparallel to the working face of the corresponding jaw and tangent to thepin, While the opposite side edge of the lug is substantially radialwith the axis of the pin; said other shank, between adjacent cradles,providing relatively narrow tips along the slot each adapted to enterthe recess provided between said radial lug edge and the adjacent faceof the pin to initially locate the pin relative to an adjacent cradle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS601,506 Eames Mar. 29, 1898 FOREIGN PATENTS 758,520 Germany Aug. 23,1951 836,928 Germany Apr. 17, 1952

